Laurentius, an antipope

Laurentius (10), antipope, elected on the
same day as Symmachus, four days after the
decease of Anastasius II., which, according to
Pagi (Critic. in. Baron.), occurred on Nov. 22,
498, Laurentius being brought forward in the
interests of concession, Symmachus in the
interests of unbending orthodoxy. Fierce
conflicts ensued. The members of the senate
as well as the clergy were arrayed in two
parties. At length it was agreed to refer the
settlement to Theodoric the Ostrogoth, now
reigning at Ravenna as king of Italy, and he
pronounced Symmachus the lawful pope
(Anastas.). Laurentius at first acquiesced,
and accepted the see of Nucerina, but his
partisans at Rome recalled him, and for three
years after his election Rome was divided
into two parties, headed by Festus and Probinus
on the side of Laurentius, and by Faustus
on the side of Symmachus. Anastasius
states that "those who communicated with
Symmachus were slain with the sword; holy
women and virgins were dragged from their
houses or convents, denuded and scourged;
there were daily fights against the church in
the midst of the city; many priests were
killed; there was no security for walking in
the city by day or night. The ex-consul
Faustus alone fought for the church." His
account implies that more influential laymen
were on the side of Laurentius, but that the
641clergy generally adhered to Symmachus. The
matter was finally settled in the "synodus
palmaris," the proceedings of which are supposed
to be given under Synod. Romana III.
sub Symmacho, the date of which is x. Kal.
Novembris. Laurentius is said, in a fragment
of a catalogue of the popes printed from a
remarkably ancient MS. by Joseph Blanchinus
in his ed. of Anastasius, to have retired to a
farm of the patrician Festus, and to have died
there, "sub ingenti abstinentia." This account
evidently emanated from the party of
Laurentius, if not from Festus himself (cf.
Pagi's note on Baronius, ann. 502 i.).